Spring Break
by Jenn11
Summary: X-over with Batman. 3rd in the series. Dick invites Vin and JD to spend Spring Break in San Diego with him… You know something’s gonna go wrong…
1. Chapter 1

Title: Spring Break

Author: Jenn11

A/N: This is the 3rd in my Magnificent 7 / Batman crossover series. Takes place after Dark Knight in Denver and Gotham 7.

Summary: Dick invites Vin and JD to spend Spring Break in San Diego with him… You know something's gonna go wrong…

Chapter 1

"Hello," JD answered his cell phone.

"Hey, JD. It's Dick. Think you and Vin could get some time off next week?"

"We're just finishing up a case, so probably. What's up?"

"I have Spring Break next week. I'm planning to spend the week in San Diego. I was thinking Bruce's jet could stop for refueling in Denver. . . and pick up a couple more passengers, if you and Vin are interested."

"One second," JD said, getting Vin's attention he motioned him over to his desk. "Dick is on the phone. How does a trip to San Diego next week sound? Think we can talk Chris into it?"

"Sounds good. I'll talk Chris into giving us the time off," Vin said with a smirk. Most of the time Chris' tendency to act like an over-protective-big-brother was a pain, but sometimes the brotherly love was useful.

JD grinned back, knowing that Vin could usually talk Chris into anything he wanted, just like JD could with Buck.

"We're in," JD reported to Dick.

Five days later the three young men were settling into the comfortable seats of Bruce Wayne's private jet.

"I can't believe you get to fly around in a private jet," JD said.

"Being Bruce Wayne's son does have its perks. But this is nothing. I wish I could take you guys flying in the BatPlane. Now **that** is a rush. You wouldn't believe the stunts you can pull in that jet."

"As long as Bruce isn't around to see how you're flying," Vin guessed, a smirk curving his lips.

"This **is** Batman we're talking about. Of course he knows what I do in the plane." Dick smirked and continued, "but then I remind him that he's the one who taught me how to fly that plane, so he has only himself to blame."

Vin and JD laughed at that, and soon they were swapping tales, only slightly exaggerated, of things they'd been able to pull over on Bruce, Alfred, Chris, Buck and the others.

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Forty eight hours later Chris' desk phone rang.

"Larabee."

"Chris, it's Bruce. Have you heard from JD or Vin since they flew out of Denver?"

"No. Why? Is there a problem?"

"I just received a ransom demand saying that they have Dick. He isn't answering his cell phone or my page." Over an open line Bruce didn't want to say that the page was to Dick's BatCommunicator. He trusted Chris to figure it out. He'd run a trace on the communicator, and it locater at the hotel Dick was staying at. He'd then run a trace on Dick's cell phone and found it was several miles away, at an address listed as a club.

"Hold on a second. I'll try calling my two," Chris said, putting the hand set on his desk and pulling out his cell phone. A moment later he put it away and picked up the hand set to the desk phone again. "No answer from Vin or JD."

"I have to stay here in Gotham, but I'll have tickets waiting for you at the airport, and Malone will meet you in San Diego," Bruce said, having no doubt that Chris and the others would be heading to San Diego. "It's possible that the kidnappers don't yet realize exactly who Vin and JD are."

Chris agreed, and wasn't sure if that was good or bad. If the kidnappers found out they had two ATF agents they might keep them alive, afraid of the consequences of killing Federal Agents; or they might want to get rid of them as soon as possible. "We'll just have to be careful working around the FBI. Technically they'll have jurisdiction over a kidnapping case," Chris answered, wanting to warn Bruce that the FBI would likely be involved.

"Don't worry about jurisdiction or the FBI. I'll make a couple phone calls and take care of it."

"Thank you, Bruce," Chris said, once again reminded what a formidable combination the other man's double identities made. Bruce Wayne had the power and influence to make the law work for him, and Batman had the ability to work freely outside the law. Something Ezra had said weeks before echoed in his mind. 'The Wayne fortune is quite possibly Batman's greatest weapon, and it is most certainly Bruce Wayne's trump card.'

Ezra, Josiah, Buck and Nathan looked up from their desks as Chris came out of his office.

"Just got a call from Bruce. From all indications Dick has been kidnapped - for ransom. Vin and JD were presumably with him, and aren't answering their cells. We're heading to San Diego. Bruce will have tickets waiting for us at the airport and deal with the FBI about jurisdiction."

"Will he be joining us in San Diego?" Josiah asked.

"Bruce Wayne has to stay in Gotham. But our 'mutual friend' will be joining the hunt in San Diego."

They all nodded in understanding.

"I'm going to talk to Travis. Meet at the airport in two hours," Chris ordered.

As the members of Team 7 headed home to get the things they'd need for the trip Bruce was also busy preparing to leave, having made a quick call to the director of the FBI. The man had dated Martha before she'd met Thomas Wayne, and he still had a soft spot for her son.

"Bring our boy home," Alfred said as Batman opened the hatch to the BatPlane.

"I will," Batman promised. He knew that if he was going to do this he had to think and work as Batman, the Detective - not as Bruce Wayne, the worried father. He also reminded himself that Dick was more than capable of taking care of himself, as were JD and Vin.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews. Susan, did you read ahead somehow…

In San Diego the three young men began waking up as the drugs they'd been given wore off.

"What happened?" JD muttered.

Dick's only answer was a groan. The last time he'd felt this bad was after Poison Ivy had gotten him with one of her toxins.

"Where are we?" Vin asked, as he blinked open his eyes.

A few minutes later they were all feeling a bit more awake, but still miserable. Looking around they realized they were in the Master Bedroom suite of a house. But instead of the usual furniture there were only the three mattresses they had been lying on. The window appeared to be bricked in. And the regular door had been replaced by what Dick recognized as a solid steel door. They couldn't see the lock, but JD would bet it was a computer lock that only worked from the outside.

"We were at that club downtown," Dick began with the last thing he remembered.

"Drinking," JD supplied.

"And talking to those hot girls," Vin added, remembering the three beautiful women.

"One of whom you were ticking off with all your talk about Barbra," JD continued, looking at Dick.

"Can I help it if the woman I love is better looking, not to mention smarter, than some California beach bimbo?" Dick muttered, slowly standing up.

"You forgettin' how much you were talkin' about Casey?" Vin asked JD as he also managed to get to his feet.

JD knew better than to answer that question. He tried to stand up and managed it; then, nauseous from the combination of sedative and alcohol, he stumbled towards the small bathroom and threw up.

"I don't think those girls locked us in here," Dick said. "But they might have drugged our drinks so someone else could." The fact that whoever had taken them had clearly planned for all three of them worried him. It meant that this wasn't just an attempt to hold him and make Bruce pay a ransom.

If it were only that he'd have no worries at all. Most any ransom amount they could name Bruce could pay from his personal accounts, and that didn't include his access to the Wayne Enterprises accounts. He had no doubt that Bruce would bankrupt himself, and the company, to get Dick back alive.

Looking at his friends he began to wonder if one of them wasn't the target, and his presence a smokescreen.

"We're dead. They're gonna kill us," JD groaned.

"You don't know that, JD," Vin said, surprised to hear JD jump to such a negative conclusion. "They probably need us alive."

"No. Not whoever took us. Buck and Chris. . . and Bruce," he added, glancing at Dick. "They're gonna kill us for being so careless and for makin' them worry."

Vin and Dick both went a bit pale as they realized the truth of JD's words. They were never going to live down allowing themselves to be drugged by a trio of beautiful women and then kidnapped.

Dick reached for his boot to get his BatCommunicator and call Bruce when he realized he'd left it in his hotel room the night before. He'd wanted to go out, have fun, and pretend he was just another college kid out enjoying Spring Break with his friends without any tie to his life as Robin. Bruce was definitely going to kill him. . . .or worse, be disappointed with him.

"Maybe if we get ourselves out of this mess they'll go easier on us," Vin suggested.

"Good thought," JD agreed.

Several minutes later the door opened. From where he was leaning against the wall Vin could see two armed men out in the hall. That was in addition to the three armed men who walked into the room. None of them were masked. Vin's trained eye automatically noted the type of gun each man held as Dick quickly memorized heir faces. Two of the men stopped just inside the door, closing it behind them. The third stepped forward.

JD's eyes immediately went to the cell phone the third man carried. It looked to be a cheap, pre paid disposable phone. No surprise there. But the detachable voice scrambler on it was one he recognized as being top of the line.

The man addressed Dick. "I'm about to call your dad. He'll want proof your alive, so you'll get to talk to him. Say anything I don't like and one of your friends dies."

On cue the man standing on the left side of the door aimed his gun at JD.

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Seeing the red light that indicated Alfred was routing a call from Wayne Manor, Batman hit the button to answer it. "Wayne."

"Mr. Wayne. If you want to see your son again wire $10 million to this account within 24 hours." Bruce didn't pay attention to the details, knowing the call was being recorded. Instead he listened to the voice, distorted as it was, and tried to hear any background noise.

"I want proof that you really have Dick and that he's alive before I pay anything," he said once the caller fell silent.

"Dad, we're fine. They just want the ransom money."

A second later the line went dead.

With the BatPlane on autopilot mode Bruce mentally replayed what Dick had said. He'd used the plural 'we're fine', which meant JD and Vin were with him. But something about his tone when he said all they wanted was the money. . . The tone wasn't right. From most people he'd dismiss it as stress from being held captive. But Dick wasn't most people. No, it wasn't stress. So what was it?

A message. But what message? The tone wasn't right - wasn't honest. . . and neither were the words. Dick was saying it was just the opposite. That the money wasn't all they wanted. That there was more to this. And perhaps his use of the plural meant that whatever else was involved besides money had to do with Vin and JD, not Dick. Besides, given the size of the Wayne fortune $10 million was a relatively small amount to ask for ransom for Dick, much less all three young men.

He hit the button to call Alfred. "I'll need you to set things up for that ransom payment. And send the message to Oracle to analyze," he ordered. If anyone could get the voice clear and trace the call it would be her.

"Very good, Sir."

"Also have her check if anyone who might have a grudge against any of the members of Team 7, especially JD, Vin, Chris, or Buck, has gotten out of jail recently," he added.

Alfred didn't bother to ask why Bruce had included the names of Bruce and Chris, even though Vin and JD seemed to be the target. Just as the surest way to hurt Bruce was to go after Dick, the best way to hurt Chris or Buck was to go after Vin or JD. He'd seen that even in the limited time the Team has spent in Gotham.

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	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews. Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 3

Dick moved closer to JD and spoke in a quiet voice. "Do you think they're listening to us or watching us?"

"Possible, but I doubt it," he said after a moment. There was no furniture in the room other than the mattresses, which significantly cut down on the places to hide a camera or listening device.

"Okay," Dick said, raising his voice loud enough for Vin to hear. "Anyone you guys put away recently get out? Or anyone who you're about to put away who might think that getting you two out of the way will let them walk?"

Vin was pleased that Dick's line of thought matched his own. "I think the first option is more likely. We're working on a couple cases, but they aren't gonna be going to trial anytime soon. Either way, I'm sure either Bruce, our Team, or both will run the names and find out."

As he neared San Diego Batman got the call he was expecting from Oracle. "I've got the voice cleaned up. It should be recognizable. But whoever it is used top of the line stuff. I doubt even the ATF could have gotten it clean." It went unsaid that she'd been able to because Bruce had given her access to beyond-Next-Generation technology still in the development phase at WayneTech. "As for tracing it, all I could get was San Diego area. Whoever they are; they are very, very good, and have some impressive toys."

"Not as impressive as mine," Batman replied.

Barbra didn't need to see him to know he was smirking. Every so often he'd make comments like that. Comments that reminded her that behind the mask and beneath the legend Bruce was a guy who loved his fancy toys.

"And they don't have you," he added.

"Thanks. I'm also sending the list of names you asked for. Hopefully the guys can tell you who are the most likely suspects or match one of the names to the voice. One last thing. . . I'm assuming you tracked Dick's cell. JD's and Vin's cell phones are right with Dick's. Oracle out."

Knowing that Barbra and JD had formed a friendship she didn't bother asking how she'd gotten his number, or Vin's. Her information was what he'd expected, and would at least give them a location to start from. At a guess, the boys had gone to that club, and been taken from there.

Two hours later 'Matches' Malone met the members of Team Seven as they picked up their bags from baggage claim. They rented two SUVs and went to the hotel.

After dropping their bags off in their respective rooms they met in Bruce's room. He began by explaining about the location of the phones.

"Grabbing them at a club was a smart move. They wouldn't have their guard up, and lots of chances to create some kind of distraction," Chris said.

Nathan spoke next. "Or it would be easy enough to slip something into their drinks." He mentally ran through the list of common knock-out drugs.

Buck spoke next. "Them being drugged makes sense. No way to get those three boys out of a club against their will without a fight that would have drawn police attention. But if our boys were drugged and someone made it look like they'd just had to much to drink and were helping 'em out to the car. . ."

"No one would notice," Ezra finished.

"Before we go check out the club there's something else," Bruce said, handing them each a pen and a copy of the list Oracle had sent him.

"I'd like each of you to mark any of these names that you think are likely to be involved with taking JD and Vin. Please don't talk about them with each other," he added.

Josiah nodded in agreement with Bruce's tactic. This way he could get each man's opinion, uninfluenced by the opinions of the rest of the team. They could then focus on the names that had gotten the most marks.

When he got the list back he saw that of the 15 names 5 had been marked by everyone, another five had been marked by two or three men, and 5 hadn't been marked at all. He sent the results to Oracle, so she could begin more in depth searches on the most likely suspects.

A sudden grin appeared on Buck's face. Seeing the curious looks directed at him, he explained. "If whoever has them thinks we'll be crippled by not having our computer expert around, they're in for a nasty surprise."

Josiah also grinned. "And that's not the only one. They've probably dismissed Dick as some spoiled brat who they don't need to worry about."

Bruce agreed with Josiah. "Many criminals have underestimated Robin, mostly at first because of his youth. They've all regretted it."

Next they listened to the tape. Bruce wasn't surprised when it was Ezra who spoke first. "The voice sounds familiar, but at the moment I am unable to associate it with a face or name."

None of the others recognized the voice at all.

"Which means it is most probably someone I dealt with while undercover, but who wasn't arrested by the Team," Ezra concluded.

"A second or third in command who we didn't have enough evidence on or who we ignored because we were after the boss," Chris suggested. Bruce nodded his agreement.

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Trapped in their room the three young men were checking it over for any possible way to escape.

"Nothing in there," Vin reported after checking the small, bricked in, window in the bathroom.

"No luck here," Dick said.

JD looked up from the door. "It's as good as I thought it was. We won't be getting out of this door without them opening it for us. . ."

"You know what that means," Dick said with a dangerous grin.

"Next time they open the door, we're going out it," Vin said with quiet confidence.

"So we just have to figure out how to make them open it. Maybe one of us could pretend to be sick, to have a bad reaction to the drugs they gave us," JD suggested, remembering how sick he'd felt and throwing up.

"It might have worked when we first woke up, but it's been long enough that they wouldn't believe it now," Dick put in. "If last time was the usual routine, they'll have two guys come in and two waiting outside. I'll head straight out and get the two in the hall, you two get the two that come in here."

Both quickly agreed.

While the guards prepared food for their prisoners, two men sat at the table in the dining room eating their dinner.

The first was the man who'd called Bruce, Richard Sykes. The second man was his boss, John Kincaid.

"I don't know why you're so worried, Boss. We got a sniper without a rifle, a computer expert with no computer, and a spoiled rich kid."

"And that is why you are an employee in my organization, rather than running your own. That sniper was also an Army Ranger. The computer expert has a genius IQ, without need of a computer."

"And Greyson?"

"Him you may be right about," Kincaid acknowledged.

"You're going to let him go once Wayne pays the ransom, aren't you? I mean, you did say you would…" Sykes voice trailed off.

"And I am a man of my word. Once Wayne pays the $10 million he can have his son back alive. As for the other two… Well, I never mentioned them, did I?"

"No, Boss, you didn't."

"Is everything ready?"

"Yeah. Soon as the money is deposited it'll be transferred to your Mexican bank. The house is ready down there, and we're all ready to leave here."

Kincaid nodded. He had no intention of staying in Mexico more than a day or two. They had an extradition treaty with the US and Mexico was far too close, considering he'd have killed two Federal Agents. He'd be heading much further south. But the others didn't know that… They could stay in Mexico to distract and delay the hunt for him.

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	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Hope you guys like this chapter.

Chapter 4

After walking around the outside of the club, and finding the 3 cell phones dumped in the gutter, the group went inside. It was still early, for a club, but people were there. Including a few that looked underage.

"Can I help you?" asked the bar tender.

"We need to see the manager. But first, did you see these three guys last night?" Buck asked, holding out a photo of Vin and JD and one of Dick.

"Don't answer that," said the manager as he walked up.

Chris showed his badge. "ATF. We need to find those men."

"It appears you have some under age patrons here. If we have no leads on our friends, we have nothing better to do than stay here and check IDs. This club will become our new pet project. However, if we had some information that might help us find our friends, we'd have better things to do than worry about this club," Ezra said in his smooth, southern drawl.

"Answer them," the manager told the bar tender. The last thing he wanted was the ATF making his club their pet project.

"Yeah. They were in last night. Got themselves three hot girls, and very, very drunk." The bar tender paused for a beat.

"What is it?" asked Josiah. The profiler could tell the young man has just remembered or realized something.

"I don't remember serving 'em more than a couple drinks. I mean, maybe one of the other bar tenders did…"

The group looked at each other. This seemed to confirm that the boys had been drugged. A few minutes later they left.

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When the four guards opened the door, the thee young men inside were ready. As planned, Dick dove for the two outside the door, grabbing their knees and knocking them off their feet. A couple fast, hard punches and the two were out. Dick grabbed their guns and ejected the ammo, tossing it away. He then dropped the guns.

Months ago, at Buck's urging, Chris had ordered JD to take martial arts training from Vin, so JD was able to use the skills Vin had taught him and take down his guard. Vin also made quick work of his. They grabbed the guns the guards had been holding, and followed Dick out of the room.

The noise had drawn attention. Vin led the way down the stairs. At the bottom he saw a couple guards approaching and shot them. They three then hurried down the hall the other direction. Seeing the front door they raced for it. JD opened the door while Vin sent a last blast of fire through the front room to discourage anyone following them.

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They were about to get back in their SUVs to leave the club when Bruce froze at what Oracle had to say.

"Bruce. I have a report of gunshots fired in the Balboa area. I don't think you're too far from there."

"You think it's them?"

"The address matches Richard Sykes. He was John Kincaid's top man. Kincaid is one of the names on all 7 lists."

"What's the address?"

She quickly gave it.

The others had been curiously watching Bruce and listening to his side of the conversation. They hadn't even noticed the tiny communicator he had in his ear, disguised as a hearing aid.

"We're on our way," he told her.

"I'm working on getting some images from one of your Wayne Communications satellites. I'll let you know what I find," Oracle said and then fell silent. But Bruce heard the fast tapping noise as her fingers flew across her key borard.

"Shots were reported at Richard Sykes' address," Bruce told the others.

"He must have moved here once we busted Kincaid," Buck commented. Chris nodded in agreement.

They piled in the two SUVs and headed off. As they drove Nathan pulled out the well stocked first aid kit he'd brought, and prayed he wouldn't need to use it.

A short time later Vin, JD, and Dick saw headlights approaching and ducked into the shadows of some trees.

Driving the lead SUV Bruce was listening to Oracle. "The three heat signatures I found just ducked behind some trees a hundred yards ahead of you."

Bruce pulled over the SUV, and the SUV behind his also pulled over. The men quickly got out.

"It's them," JD said, relief evident in his voice. The three hurried to meet their friends.

Nathan was pleased to see that none of the three seemed hurt. They were all moving easily, and he didn't see any blood or other evidence of injuries.

"Hey, Chris. Miss us?" Vin asked casually, grinning.

Chris scowled, but his happiness and relief at finding Vin, and the others, safe showed in his eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell ya to quit scaring me like that?" Buck growled at JD.

JD put on his most innocent face. "But, Buck, I've never scared you by being kidnapped before… I always find new ways to scare you…"

Buck pulled the man he considered a little brother into a quick hug. "Find a new hobby, will ya?"

"So, Bruce, long way from Gotham," Dick commented.

"Alfred was worried," Bruce replied.

"_Alfred_ was worried, huh?" Dick teased.

"Yes, he was… And so was I," Bruce admitted. "And expect an ear full from Barbra. She was also worried." Bruce suddenly grinned as Oracle spoke in his ear. "In fact, she wants to talk to you right now." He pulled out a spare communicator and handed it to Dick, taking his own out of his ear and putting it away.

Dick made a face at his father and put in the ear piece. "Hey, Babs. Look, I'm sorry…"

"Fraid we left a bit of a mess," Vin said, looking completely unrepentant.

"Let's go clean it up," Chris said. The others began to get back in the SUVs.

Dick was relieved to have the excuse to end his conversation. "Look, Babs. I've gotta go. There are some loose ends to tie up."

"We'll talk more when you get home," she assured him.


End file.
